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2004 Canadian Grand Prix
13 June |number = 721 |officialname = XLII Grand Prix Air du Canada |circuit = Circuit Gilles Villeneuve |location = Montreal, Quebec, Canada |circuittype = Permanent Racing Facility |lapdistance = 4.361 |laps = 70 |distance = 305.270 |pole = Ralf Schumacher |polenation = GER |poleteam = |poletime = 1:12.275 |fastestlap = 1:13.622 |fastestlapdriver = Rubens Barrichello |fastestlapnation = BRA |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 68 |winner = Michael Schumacher |winnernation = GER |winnerteam = |second = Rubens Barrichello |secondnation = BRA |secondteam = |third = Jenson Button |thirdnation = GBR |thirdteam = }} The XLII Grand Prix Air du Canada, otherwise known as the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, was the eighth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on 13 June 2004.'Canada 2004 - Sixth no barrier to Schumi seven.', crash.net, (Crash Media Group, 13/06/2004), https://www.crash.net/f1/race-report/49114/1/canada-2004-sixth-no-barrier-to-schumi-seven, (Accessed 20/12/2019) The race, which marked the halfway point in the 2004 season, saw Michael Schumacher claim his seventh victory of the campaign, setting a new record for most wins at a single circuit. Qualifying had seen Schumacher beaten to pole position by his younger brother Ralf Schumacher, driving for . Indeed, an unexpectedly poor session for the Champion-elect had left the #1 down in sixth, with Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli, Juan Pablo Montoya and Fernando Alonso all getting ahead. The start of the race would see Ralf Schumacher and Button squabble amongst themselves for the lead, while Alonso scrambled into third in his electronically superior . Behind, Kimi Räikkönen jumped ahead of Rubens Barrichello, while Michael Schumacher remained in sixth behind Trulli and Montoya. Ralf Schumacher and Button would soon sprint clear, while Alonso paced them in a lonely third. That changed when Button became one of the early pitters, joining Räikkönen and David Coulthard on a three-stop strategy, with Montoya another early stopper. The rest of the first round of stops would go poorly for Alonso, who dropped right to the back of the lead group after a fuel rig issue. Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, was the big winner as he jumped to third behind Button, with Ralf Schumacher still leading the charge. The second round of stops would see Barrichello close right onto the back of teammate Michael Schumacher, having passed Montoya shortly after the first round, while Button closed on Ralf Schumacher. Elsewhere, Alonso would charge back into contention for the podium only for a driveshaft failure to end his hopes completely, while Takuma Sato endured yet another smokey engine failure in his . Into the third and final round of stops and the Ferraris, on two-stops, shuffled to the front of the field, with Michael Schumacher leading from brother Ralf, while Barrichello had jumped into third ahead of Button. Montoya and Räikkönen were also int he lead group, which were steadily closing on the #1 Ferrari due to its used Bridgestone tyres, although the Finn was forced to withdraw from the battle after stopping a fourth time for a new steering wheel. An accident for Felipe Massa in the closing stages seemed to settle the race, the Brazilian's destroying itself against the barriers at the hairpin. Michael Schumacher was hence able to cruise to victory with one of the major overtaking spots blocked by yellow flags, with Ralf Schumacher and Barrichello completing the podium. However, after the race it was announced that both the s and the two s had failed post-race scrutineering, having used illegal brake ducts. As such all four of their cars were excluded from the results, elevating Button onto the podium behind Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella into fourth, and Räikkönen, Coulthard, debutante Timo Glock and Nick Heidfeld into the points. Background Michael Schumacher's domination of the FIA Formula One World Championship resumed after his Monaco blip, with his sixth win of the campaign leaving him on 60 points. Rubens Barrichello hence slipped fourteen points behind having finished second to his teammate, while Jenson Button was now 22 off the German ace. Jarno Trulli, meanwhile, had slipped a little further behind the Brit in fourth, while Fernando Alonso completed the top five. In the Constructors Championship smashed through the 100 point barrier at the seventh race of the campaign, leaving the Nürburgring on 106 points. were still second, 45 off the leaders, while remained in third, inching away from . were next having broken into double figures for the season, with still stuck on five points. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Q1 Report Q2 Report Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid ** Sato and Bruni started the race from the pitlane. Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. ** Schumacher, Montoya, da Matta and Panis were disqualified after their cars failed post-race scrutineering due to using illegal brake ducts. Milestones * Jenson Button and Nick Heidfeld entered their 75th Grand Prix.'2004 Canadian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=2004&gp=Canadian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 20/12/2019) * Tenth race for Zsolt Baumgartner. * Debut race for Timo Glock. * Michael Schumacher secured his 77th career victory.'8. Canada 2004', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/canada.aspx, (Accessed 20/12/2019) * claimed their 174th win as a constructor and engine supplier. * Glock claimed his maiden points finish. Standings A seventh win of the season left Michael Schumacher as the overwhelming favourite for the title at the halfway point in the season, the German ace leaving Canada on 70 points. That translated into a sixteen point advantage over Rubens Barrichello in second, while Jenson Button was the first non- driver in the Championship, 26 behind. Jarno Trulli was next ahead of Fernando Alonso in the half-time table, with Timo Glock having become the seventeenth driver to score. In the Constructors Championship Ferrari, unsurprisingly, would enter the second half of the season as the team to beat, hitting 124 points at the halfway point. were their largest threat, although with a 63 point gap between them it was a matter of when, not if, the Scuderia would claim the 2004 crown. Elsewhere, were just nine behind the French manufacturer in third, were in fourth, while had kept hold of fifth ahead of . Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Grand Prix articles Category:2004 Grands Prix Category:Canadian Grand Prix